Best Graphics Cards (2026): Price-to-Performance Ranked

Updated November 7, 2026. Prices checked that day on Amazon US and eBay US. We refresh this guide every month.

The best graphics card for most people in November 2026 is the AMD Radeon RX 9070 at $749.99. It costs $12.08 per performance point, the lowest of any new GPU on sale right now. If you can stretch to $919.99, the Radeon RX 9070 XT matches the $1,777.16 GeForce RTX 5070 Ti in raster games. NVIDIA buyers should look at the GeForce RTX 5070 at $990.00. It's faster and cheaper than a used RTX 4070 Super.

We priced 36 graphics cards (GPUs) across three generations: NVIDIA's RTX 50, RTX 40 and RTX 30 series, AMD's Radeon RX 9000, 7000 and 6000 series, and Intel's Arc B-series. Every card has an MSRP, a live Amazon price, a used eBay price where one exists, a benchmark score, and the number that matters: dollars per performance point. That last one is how you tell a deal from a robbery, and in late 2026 there are a lot of robberies. 34 cards make the ranked table. The two Intel Arc cards didn't, because nobody is selling them new at a sane price.

Best graphics cards at a glance

Here are eight picks, one for each kind of buyer. Prices are the cheapest legitimate in-stock listing we found on November 7, 2026.

Why are graphics card prices so high in 2026?

GPU prices are inflated because of a global memory shortage, and no new cards are coming to relieve it. AI data centers are buying up DRAM and GDDR7, so every card with a lot of VRAM costs more to build. NVIDIA's RTX 50 Super refresh is reportedly finished, but it's on hold because 3GB GDDR7 modules cost triple what 2GB modules do. A separate report says NVIDIA won't release any new gaming GPUs in 2026, and that RTX 60 is likely a 2028 product.

The result shows up in the master table. On Amazon US, current-gen NVIDIA cards are selling at 1.32× (RTX 5060 Ti 8GB) to 3.9× (RTX 5090) MSRP. AMD's RX 9000 cards sit at 1.34× to 1.89×. The one card near its launch price is the Radeon RX 7900 XT, at 1.03× MSRP, and it gets beaten by a newer card at the same price anyway (more on that below).

That's also why "just buy last gen" is bad advice this year. A used RTX 4070 Super is going for a median $1,099.89 on eBay, more than a brand-new RTX 5070. The real used bargains are two generations back.

The master table: every GPU ranked by price-to-performance

The best price-to-performance graphics cards right now are used RTX 30-series cards, then the new Radeon RX 9070 and RTX 5060 Ti 8GB. The table is sorted by dollars per performance point at 1440p, using whichever is cheaper: new on Amazon or used on eBay. Lower is better.

Performance: Tom's Hardware GPU Benchmarks Hierarchy 2026, 1440p Ultra rasterization, 11-game geometric mean, expressed as a percentage of the RTX 5090 (so the 5090 scores 100). Amazon: cheapest new, in-stock listing with an Add to Cart button, checked November 7, 2026. Used: median asking price of used Buy It Now listings from US eBay sellers on November 7, 2026, with parts-only, broken, box-only and full-PC listings removed. n is the number of listings. Used prices with fewer than 10 listings are left out.

How we ranked them

Each card's price is divided by its 1440p performance score to get dollars per performance point. One point is 1% of an RTX 5090. The RX 9070 scores 62.1 and costs $749.99, so each point costs $12.08. The RTX 5090 scores 100 and costs $7,799.98, so each point costs $78.00. That gap is the whole story of this market.

We don't own all 36 cards, so we don't invent frame rates. Performance comes from Tom's Hardware's hierarchy, which tests every card on the same system with the same 11 games. The RPG section further down uses TechPowerUp's 2026 test bench. Prices are what you can actually pay today, not launch MSRPs, because a $549 MSRP means nothing when the cheapest listing is $990.

We used 1440p as the main ranking because it's where most people buying a $500 to $1,000 card play. The next table repeats the math at 1080p and 4K, where the order changes.

Performance at 1080p, 1440p and 4K

At 4K, 8GB cards fall apart. The RTX 5060 Ti 8GB scores 49.3 at 1080p and 25.4 at 4K, while the 16GB version drops less, from 51.6 to 36.3. If 4K is anywhere in your future, skip 8GB. All scores are a percentage of the RTX 5090. Ray tracing scores come from Tom's six-game RT suite.

Source: Tom's Hardware GPU Benchmarks Hierarchy 2026, Ultra settings, native resolution. Dollar figures use the same best price as the master table.

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Which graphics card has the best ray tracing value?

Per dollar, AMD's Radeon RX 9070 is the best ray tracing value among new cards, followed by the RX 9070 XT. That surprises people, because NVIDIA wins ray tracing card for card. But NVIDIA's cards are marked up so far that the RTX 5070 costs $19.37 per ray tracing point against $15.89 for the RX 9070. The exception is full path tracing (Cyberpunk 2077 Overdrive, Alan Wake 2), where NVIDIA's lead is much bigger than this suite shows.

Ray tracing score: Tom's Hardware 1440p ray tracing suite, percent of RTX 5090. New cards with a linked Amazon listing only.

Current gen vs last gen: is upgrading worth it?

In November 2026, current gen wins most matchups, because last-gen cards have inflated too. Each row pairs a current card with the card it replaced and uses the best price for each, new or used. A positive price gap means the new card costs more.

Three matchups stand out:

• RTX 5070 vs RTX 4070 Super: The 5070 is 6% faster and $109.89 cheaper than the used 4070 Super's median asking price. Used sellers haven't noticed the market moved on.
• RX 9070 XT vs RX 7900 XT: Brand new, the 9070 XT is $6.00 cheaper than a new 7900 XT and 8% faster at 1440p. Its ray tracing is 28% faster too. The 7900 XT's only edge is 20GB of VRAM.
• RTX 5090 vs RTX 4090: This is the only pairing where last gen clearly wins. A used 4090 gives you 86% of the 5090's 1440p speed for 45% of the price.

VRAM and memory bus: what you're actually buying

Memory size matters more than memory type in 2026. The RTX 5060 Ti 8GB and 16GB use the same GB206 chip with 4,608 shader cores. The only difference is VRAM, and that's worth 43% more performance at 4K (36.3 vs 25.4). Also, the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT use the same Navi 48 chip and 16GB on a 256-bit bus, so the XT's 12% lead at 1440p comes from 512 extra cores and higher clocks.

Source: TechPowerUp market segment table, reference specifications. RTX 5090, RTX 4090, RTX 5050, RX 9060 XT 8GB, RTX 4060 and RX 7600 aren't in that table.

Best graphics card by budget

Under $300, there's no new graphics card worth buying in November 2026. The RTX 5050 has a $249.99 MSRP and costs $453.66 on Amazon. A used RTX 3060 Ti at a $300.00 median is faster and costs less per point than any new card on the list.

Best graphics card for 1080p, 1440p and 4K

For 1440p, buy the Radeon RX 9070. For 4K, buy the RTX 5070 Ti. The "perf" column uses the score for that resolution, or the ray tracing score for the ray tracing row.

1. Radeon RX 9070: best value graphics card

The Radeon RX 9070 is the best value GPU you can buy new: $749.99 for a 1440p score of 62.1, or $12.08 per point. That's 8% faster than the RTX 5070 for $240.01 less. You also get 16GB of VRAM instead of 12GB.

It ties the last-gen RTX 4070 Ti Super at 62.1, a card that still lists for $1,598.00 new. NVIDIA fans will point out ray tracing, and they're right: the RTX 5070 scores 51.1 in Tom's RT suite to the RX 9070's 47.2. That's an 8% gap in NVIDIA's favor on its best feature, for a card that costs 32% more.

The listing we found is the ASRock Challenger OC, sold by ASRock and shipped by Amazon.

Check the Radeon RX 9070 price on Amazon

2. Radeon RX 9070 XT: best graphics card for 1440p

The RX 9070 XT scores 69.7 at 1440p. The RTX 5070 Ti scores 69.8 and costs $857.17 more. That's the best roast on this page, and NVIDIA wrote it.

The RTX 5070 Ti is still the better ray tracing card (65.7 vs 55.1), and DLSS 4 is ahead of FSR 4 in game support. If you play path-traced games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Alan Wake 2, that gap is real. Everywhere else, the 9070 XT gives you 5070 Ti raster speed, the same 16GB, and enough money left over to buy a 2TB SSD and a good chunk of a CPU.

The listing we found is the PowerColor Reaper, sold and shipped by Amazon.com. A used 9070 XT on eBay is asking a median of about $1,200, more than new, so buy this one new.

Check the Radeon RX 9070 XT price on Amazon

3. GeForce RTX 5070: best NVIDIA card under $1,000

If you want NVIDIA, the RTX 5070 at $990.00 is the sweet spot. It scores 57.6 at 1440p and 51.1 with ray tracing, and you get DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation. It's $109.89 cheaper than the median used RTX 4070 Super and faster than it.

The catch is 12GB of VRAM. That's enough at 1440p today, but it's the reason AMD's 16GB cards age better. At $990.00 it's also $440.01 over its $549.99 MSRP.

Check the GeForce RTX 5070 price on Amazon

4. GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB: best graphics card under $500

The RTX 5060 Ti 8GB costs $499.99 and $12.19 per point, second only to the RX 9070 among new cards. It's sold and shipped by Amazon.com and only $120.00 over MSRP. That's 1.32×, the smallest markup of any current-gen card.

It's a 1080p card, though. With 8GB, its 4K score drops to 25.4 while the 16GB version holds 36.3. At 1080p it scores 49.3, ahead of the RX 9060 XT 8GB (45.7), and it costs the same $499.99.

Check the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB price on Amazon

5. Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB: best 16GB budget card

For big open worlds that eat VRAM, the RX 9060 XT 16GB is the cheapest new 16GB card at $659.99. It costs $110.00 less than the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, which is 9% faster at 1440p (43.9 vs 40.2).

The value math says $16.42 per point, so it isn't a bargain. It's insurance. If you mod Skyrim, play at high texture settings, or keep a card for four years, 16GB at this price is the safe call.

Check the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB price on Amazon

6. GeForce RTX 5070 Ti: best graphics card for 4K

The RTX 5070 Ti is the cheapest card that's comfortable at 4K: a 4K score of 61.9, 16GB of VRAM and DLSS 4, for $1,777.16. The RTX 5080 is only 13% faster at 4K (69.8) and costs $617.84 more.

It's 2.37× its $749.99 MSRP, which hurts. Tom's Hardware's October street-price median for this card was $1,099, so if you see one near that, buy it. We'll track it in next month's update.

Check the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti price on Amazon

7. GeForce RTX 5090: the fastest graphics card, period

The RTX 5090 is the fastest gaming GPU you can buy, and the cheapest one on Amazon today is $7,799.98. That's 3.9× its $1,999.99 MSRP. It's the 100 that every other score on this page is measured against, it has 32GB of GDDR7, and it's the only card that runs 4K Ultra natively above 100 fps in Tom's suite (110.8 fps average).

It also costs $78.00 per point, more than six times the RX 9070. A used RTX 4090 gives you 85.7% of the 1440p speed for $3,500. Buy the 5090 only if you need 32GB for local AI work, or if money really isn't the point.

Check the GeForce RTX 5090 price on Amazon · Shop a used RTX 4090 on eBay

8. Best last-gen and used graphics cards

The best used buy is the RTX 3080 10GB at a median of $500. It scores 49.0 at 1440p, about the same as a new RX 7800 XT, for $10.20 per point. The RTX 3070 ($329.99) and RTX 3060 Ti ($300) score even better on cost per point, but they only have 8GB.

Among last-gen cards, the RX 7800 XT is the one that still makes sense: $680.00 new, $650 used, 16GB, and a 1440p score of 50.7. It loses to the RX 9070 on value by about 6% when you buy it used, so only take it if you find one under $650.

Before you buy used: ask for a photo of the card running a stress test, check that the seller has a return policy, and avoid listings that say "untested."

Shop a used RTX 3080 on eBay · Check the RX 7800 XT price on Amazon

Graphics cards you should never buy right now

The worst buy on the market is a new RTX 4060 at $599.99. A new RTX 5060 is $130.00 cheaper and 26% faster. Here's the rest of the hall of shame, all priced on November 7, 2026:

• GeForce RTX 4060, new at $599.99: double its $299.99 MSRP for a card that lost its job to the RTX 5060.
• Intel Arc B580, any new Amazon listing: a $249.99 card. The only new listings we found were resellers asking $851 to $1,263. Don't.
• Intel Arc B570 at $487.40: 2.2× MSRP, from a third-party seller that ships in five to six days. A new RTX 5060 Ti 8GB is $12.59 more and 55% faster.
• Radeon RX 9070 GRE at $739.15: it's a fine card, but the full RX 9070 is $10.84 more and 20% faster with 4GB more VRAM.
• Radeon RX 7700 XT, new at $845.00: almost the price of an RX 9070 XT, at 62% of its speed.
• Radeon RX 7900 XTX, new at $2,099.00: the cheapest new listing is a premium Nitro+ model. A used one goes for $1,499, and an RX 9070 XT gets within 5% of it for $919.99.
• GeForce RTX 5090 at $7,799.98: covered above. Respect the card, not the price.

What graphics card do you need for RPGs like Monster Hunter Wilds and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33?

For 60 fps at 1440p with max settings in the most demanding RPGs, you need about an RX 9070 or RTX 5070 Ti. Monster Hunter Wilds runs at 69.8 fps on the RX 9070 and 75.0 fps on the RTX 5070 Ti. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is harder: only the RTX 5070 Ti (57.3 fps) gets close to 60 natively in this group. Upscaling with DLSS or FSR is how most of these cards get there.

Source: TechPowerUp, Sapphire Radeon RX 9070 GRE Pulse review, 2026 test system (Ryzen 7 9800X3D), cards retested in May 2026. 2560×1440, highest in-game settings, native resolution, no upscaling, ray tracing off, custom in-game test scenes. Average fps.

The cheapest new card that clears 60 fps in Monster Hunter Wilds at native 1440p is the RX 9070, at $10.74 per frame. The RTX 5060 Ti 8GB is cheaper per frame ($10.14) but stops at 49.3 fps. Here's the cost of every frame, using the same prices as the master table.

What that means for your build:

• Monster Hunter Wilds is the benchmark that hurts. 8GB cards run it, but TechPowerUp's RTX 5060 Ti 8GB review notes it tends to crash when it runs out of VRAM. Buy 12GB or more for it.
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the hardest game in this table at native 1440p. The good news is that turn-based combat doesn't need 120 fps. Still deciding on it? Read our Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 guide.
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, The Witcher 3 and Baldur's Gate 3 run above 60 fps on every card in the table, even the RX 9060 XT 8GB.
• Elden Ring is capped at 60 fps on PC. TechPowerUp's launch review found an RTX 3070 Ti or RX 6800 XT enough for 4K60, so anything from the RX 9070 up maxes it at 1440p. TechPowerUp later had to uncap it with a mod just to benchmark it. Save your money for a better build: our Elden Ring build tier list ranks them.

Looking for something to play on the new card? Our best JRPGs of all time list has 30 years of reasons.

Graphics card FAQ

Is there a PC version of GTA 6?

No. Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) launches November 19, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S only. Rockstar hasn't announced a PC version. Reports of an early-2027 PC release are unconfirmed leaks, and Rockstar's past PC ports arrived more than a year after console. Don't buy a GPU for GTA 6 yet. If you're playing on console, see our PS5 storage guide for GTA 6.

Should I wait for the RTX 50 Super?

Probably not. The RTX 50 Super cards are reportedly finished but on hold over memory costs, with CES 2027 the most-cited launch window. Even if they launch, they'll use the same expensive 3GB GDDR7 modules that are holding them back, so they won't arrive cheap. If you need a card now, the RX 9070 is a good buy today.

Is 8GB of VRAM enough in 2026?

For 1080p, mostly yes. For 1440p, it's tight, and for 4K, no. The RTX 5060 Ti 8GB scores 25.4 at 4K against 36.3 for the 16GB version, which is the same GPU with more memory. Monster Hunter Wilds is the game most likely to crash on 8GB.

Is AMD or NVIDIA better value right now?

AMD, on raw value. The RX 9070, RX 9070 XT and RX 9060 XT 8GB are three of the five cheapest new cards per performance point. NVIDIA wins on ray tracing and DLSS 4 support. If those matter to you, the RTX 5070 and RTX 5060 Ti 8GB are NVIDIA's value picks.

Why does Amazon charge more than MSRP?

Most of the cheapest listings are third-party sellers pricing to the shortage. Some cards are sold by Amazon.com directly: the RX 9070 XT, RTX 5060 Ti 8GB and 16GB, RTX 5060 and RX 9070 GRE listings in our table all were on November 7. Those tend to stay closer to MSRP and have the easiest returns.

Is buying a used graphics card safe?

Usually, if you're careful. Buy from sellers with returns, ask for a stress-test photo, and avoid "untested" or "as is" listings. eBay's money-back guarantee covers items that don't match the listing. Cards from 2020 and 2021 may have been used for crypto mining. Fans are the usual wear point, and they're cheap to replace.

The verdict

Buy the Radeon RX 9070 at $749.99 unless you have a reason not to. Want NVIDIA? Get the RTX 5070. Want 4K? Get the RTX 5070 Ti. On a tight budget, a used RTX 3080 beats every new card under $500. And whatever you do, don't pay $599.99 for an RTX 4060.

Prices change daily in this market, so we'll re-check every price and re-rank the table next month. Building the rest of the rig from scratch? Start with our first gaming PC guide.

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Image credits: NVIDIA, AMD, ASRock, PowerColor, PNY, XFX, MSI, ASUS, Sapphire, Gigabyte, Capcom, Sandfall Interactive, Rockstar Games.